U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE

WASHINGTON : 

1 

49–010 

" ! SENATE 109TH CONGRESS

1st Session 

REPORT

2005

109–202 

Calendar No. 319 

WEATHER MODIFICATION RESEARCH AND 

TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER AUTHORIZATION 

ACT OF 2005 

R E P O R T 

OF THE

COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND 

TRANSPORTATION 

ON

S. 517 

DECEMBER 8, 2005.—Ordered to be printed 

Filed under authority of the order of the Senate of November 18, 2005 


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(II) 

SENATE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION 

ONE HUNDRED NINTH CONGRESS

SECOND SESSION

TED STEVENS, Alaska, Chairman 

DANIEL K. INOUYE, Hawaii, Co-Chairman 

JOHN MCCAIN, Arizona 

CONRAD BURNS, Montana 

TRENT LOTT, Mississippi 

KAY BAILEY HUTCHISON, Texas 

OLYMPIA J. SNOWE, Maine 

GORDON H. SMITH, Oregon 

JOHN ENSIGN, Nevada 

GEORGE ALLEN, Virginia 

JOHN E. SUNUNU, New Hampshire 

JIM DEMINT, South Carolina 

DAVID VITTER, Louisiana 

JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER IV, West Virginia 

JOHN F. KERRY, Massachusetts 

BYRON L. DORGAN, North Dakota 

BARBARA BOXER, California 

BILL NELSON, Florida 

MARIA CANTWELL, Washington 

FRANK LAUTENBERG, New Jersey 

E. BENJAMIN NELSON, Nebraska 

MARK PRYOR, Arkansas 

LISA SUTHERLAND, Staff Director 

CHRISTINE DRAGER KURTH, Deputy Staff Director 

DAVID RUSSELL, Chief Counsel 

MARGARET CUMMISKY, Democratic Staff Director and Chief Counsel 

SAMUEL WHITEHORN, Democratic Deputy Staff Director and General Counsel 


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Calendar No. 319 

109TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! SENATE 1st Session 109–202 

WEATHER MODIFICATION RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY 

TRANSFER AUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2005 

DECEMBER 8, 2005.—Ordered to be printed 

Filed under authority of the order of the Senate of November 18, 2005 

Mr. STEVENS, from the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 

Transportation, submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

[To accompany S. 517] 

The Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, to 

which was referred the bill (S. 517) to establish the Weather Modification Operations and Research Board, and for other purposes, 

having considered the same, reports favorably thereon with an 

amendment (in the nature of a substitute) and recommends that 

the bill (as amended) do pass. 

PURPOSE OF THE BILL

The purpose of S. 517, as set forth in section 2 of the bill is, ‘‘to 

develop and implement a comprehensive and coordinated national 

weather modification research policy and a national cooperative 

Federal and State program of weather modification research and 

development.’’ 

BACKGROUND AND NEEDS

Weather modification refers to the intentional modification of atmospheric processes by human activities. For a number of years 

the Federal government supported research for weather modification. Federal support for weather modification research and development peaked in the mid-1970s and has since declined due in part 

to both a lack of a statistical confirmation of hail suppression and 

rain enhancement seeding experiments and a shift from federally 

funded in-house weather modification research and development to 


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cooperative Federal/State weather modification research. Currently, there is no Federal funding for weather modification activities. 

SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS

The bill would create a subcommittee in the Office of Science and 

Technology Policy (OSTP) to coordinate a national weather modification research program. The subcommittee would be co-chaired 

by representatives from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Science Foundation (NSF), 

and would have representation from the National Aeronautics and 

Space Administration (NASA) and other appropriate Federal agencies. 

The subcommittee would be required to submit a plan for weather modification research that describes goals and activities, evaluates existing programs, makes suggestions on coordination with existing programs, and provides an estimation of Federal funding for 

weather modification research. The program would include activities to improve the understanding of processes related to weather 

modification and the potential negative impacts of weather modification. 

The bill also would establish an advisory board in OSTP to make 

recommendations to the subcommittee. This advisory board would 

be composed of outside experts including scientists, engineers and 

State officials involved in weather modification operations. The advisory board would examine potential uses for weather modification 

research and evaluate the efficacy of weather modification research. 

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY

The Weather Modification Research and Technology Transfer Authorization Act of 2005 (S. 517) was introduced by Senator 

Hutchison on March 3, 2005 and referred to the Senate Committee 

on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. The Subcommittee on 

Disaster Prevention and Prediction and the Subcommittee on 

Science and Space held a joint hearing on S. 517 on November 10, 

2005. On November 17, 2005, the Committee considered the bill in 

an open Executive Session. Senator Hutchison offered an amendment in the nature of a substitute. The Committee, without objection, adopted the substitute and ordered S. 517 be reported with 

the amendment. 

ESTIMATED COSTS

In accordance with paragraph 11(a) of rule XXVI of the Standing 

Rules of the Senate and section 403 of the Congressional Budget 

Act of 1974, the Committee provides the following cost estimate, 

prepared by the Congressional Budget Office: 


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DECEMBER 1, 2005. 

Hon. TED STEVENS, 

Chairman, Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, 

U.S. Senate, Washington, DC. 

DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: The Congressional Budget Office has prepared the enclosed cost estimate for S. 517, the Weather Modification Research and Development Policy Act of 2005. 

If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be pleased 

to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Matthew Pickford. 

Sincerely, 

DOUGLAS HOLTZ-EAKIN. 

Enclosure. 

S. 517—Weather Modification Research and Development Policy Act 

of 2005 

S. 517 would establish within the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) a new Weather Modification Subcommittee 

and a Weather Modification Research Advisory Board. Weather 

modification is the general term that refers to any human attempt 

to alter the weather. The subcommittee would consist of representatives from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 

the National Science Foundation, and the National Aeronautics 

and Space Administration and would be responsible for coordinating a national research program on weather modification. The 

advisory board would consist of nine members with weather expertise from outside the federal government, appointed by the Director 

of OSTP to advise the work of the subcommittee. 

Within 180 days of enactment, the legislation would require the 

Weather Modification Subcommittee to report to the Congress goals 

and priorities for federal weather modification research over the 

next 10 years. In addition, the subcommittee would annually report 

on weather modification research achievements, progress, budgets, 

and recommendations. (This legislation would not specifically authorize any such research.) The advisory board would work with 

the subcommittee to make recommendations on weather modification issues. 

Based on information from OSTP, CBO expects that the new subcommittee and advisory board would require a small increase in 

staff and overall administrative expenses to coordinate a national 

research program on weather modification. We estimate that implementing S. 517 would cost about $1 million annually, assuming appropriation of the necessary amounts. Enacting the legislation 

would not affect direct spending or revenues. 

S. 517 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates 

as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act;. any costs to 

state, local, or tribal governments would result from complying 

with conditions of federal assistance. 

The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Matthew Pickford. 

This estimate was approved by Peter H. Fontaine, Deputy Assistant Director for Budget Analysis. 


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REGULATORY IMPACT STATEMENT

In accordance with paragraph 11(b) of rule XXVI of the Standing 

Rules of the Senate, the Committee provides the following evaluation of the regulatory impact of the legislation, as reported: 

NUMBER OF PERSONS COVERED

The bill would require OSTP to develop a national weather modification policy. The bill would not authorize any new regulations 

and, therefore, would not subject any individuals or businesses to 

new regulations. 

ECONOMIC IMPACT

S. 517 would not have an adverse economic impact on the nation’s economy. The Act would not authorize any new spending. 

PRIVACY

The reported bill would have little, if any, impact on the personal 

privacy of U.S. citizens. 

PAPERWORK

The reported bill would not increase paperwork requirements significantly for individuals and businesses. Section 4 of the Act would 

require OSTP to submit a 10-year plan to Congress and an annual 

report to the President and Congress. 

SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS

Section 1. Short title 

Section 1 would establish the short title of the bill as the ‘‘Weather Modification Research and Development Policy Authorization 

Act of 2005.’’ 

Section 2. Purpose 

Section 2 would establish the purpose of the bill to develop a 

comprehensive national weather modification research policy. 

Section 3. Definitions 

Section 3 would define various terms in the act, including 

‘‘Board’’, ‘‘Research and Development’’, and ‘‘Weather Modification.’’ 

Section 4. Weather Modification Subcommittee 

Section 4 would create a subcommittee in OSTP to coordinate a 

national weather modification research program. The subcommittee 

would be co-chaired by NOAA and NSF, and would have representation from NASA and other appropriate Federal agencies. 

The section would require the Subcommittee to submit a plan for 

weather modification research that would describe goals and activities, evaluate existing programs, make suggestions on coordination 

with existing programs, and provide an estimation of Federal funding for weather modification research. 

The section states that the program may include activities to improve the understanding of processes related to weather modification including cloud seeding, cloud modeling, improved forecast 


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technologies, as well as the potential negative impacts of weather 

modification. 

Finally the section would require the Board to submit an annual 

report on the activities conducted pursuant to this section. 

Section 5. Weather modification research advisory board established 

Section 5 would establish an advisory board in OSTP to make 

recommendations to the Weather Modification Subcommittee. The 

board would be composed of outside experts including scientists, 

engineers and State officials involved in weather modification operations. The board would examine potential uses for weather modification research and would evaluate the efficacy of weather modification research. 

Section 6. Cooperation with Weather Modification Subcommittee 

Section 6 would instruct Federal agencies to cooperate with the 

Weather Modification Subcommittee. 

CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW

In compliance with paragraph 12 of rule XXVI of the Standing 

Rules of the Senate, the Committee states that the bill as reported 

would make no change to existing law. 

Æ 


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